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Two still held over murder of children's nurse in Banbridge

PSNI Ms Cummings is smiling at the camera and is wearing a brown jumpsuit. She had long brown hair PSNI
Karen Cummings, 40, was found unconscious with a serious head injury

Police are continuing to question two men over the murder of a children's nurse in Banbridge, County Down.

Karen Cummings, 40, was found unconscious with a serious head injury in Laurel Heights on Saturday evening. She died at the scene.

Police have described the incident as a "brutal and senseless murder".

The mother-of-two worked at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry and colleagues were among those who visited the scene on Monday to lay floral tributes.

Pacemaker Five police officers wear green and black uniforms with black hats. They are walking up a concrete residential street with red brick houses on their right hand side, they have their backs to the camera. Pacemaker
Police cordoned off the area in Laurel Heights on Saturday night

A 42-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of her murder on Saturday.

A second man, aged in his 30s, was arrested in the Banbridge area on Sunday, also on suspicion of murder.

Speaking on Sunday Supt Brendan Green said: "Our thoughts are with Ms Cummings' family and friends as they struggle to come to terms with what has happened and they have our full sympathy at this time.

"Please be reassured that our officers will be doing everything in their power to conduct a thorough investigation into what has happened and we would urge members of the public not to speculate."

A bouquet of white and yellow flowers with green leaves with green paper wrapping set on a pavement with a house and car in the background.
Lots of floral tributes have been left in Laurel Heights

A bunch of flowers was left at the police cordon by someone who said they did not know Ms Cummings well, but that she had looked after one of their family members at hospital recently and was full of "bounce" on the ward.

They said they couldn't believe what had happened to her.

Women's Aid expressed their "deepest sympathies" and highlighted that Ms Cummings was the "25th woman to be killed in Northern Ireland since 2020" and the seventh this year.

ROSA NI added: "The number of femicides keeps rising here and elsewhere. Often it is in our own homes where women are most at risk. This must stop. We will keep fighting for a world free of gender violence."

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In a statement, the Southern Health and Social Care Trust said: "Our thoughts and sympathies are with Karen's family, friends and colleagues."

"Karen was a valued member of our staff and we have all been shocked and saddened by her untimely death," it added.

"Karen will be very sadly missed and remembered always especially by her Paediatric nursing colleagues at Daisy Hill Hospital."

'Tragic and brutal'

Politicians urged anyone with information to contact police.

Sinn Féin Mid Ulster MLA Linda Dillon said: "Violence against women and girls anywhere in our society is reprehensible and must be eradicated.

"Together we must unite and say enough is enough and do everything we can to bring violence, harm and abuse of women to an end.

"I would appeal to anyone with information to bring it forward to the PSNI."

MP for Upper Bann Carla Lockhart said her thoughts were with the Cummings family following the "tragic and brutal" murder.

Speaking to the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician urged people not to speculate about the murder and give police "time and space" to carry out their investigation.

She added that there would be an increased police presence in Banbridge to "restore community confidence".

Lockhart said that "as political reps and as a society, we need to stop just talking about [violence against women] and take action".

She called for more police officers and tougher sentencing.